Solar energy for heating purposes is now recognized as a viable and possibly necessary alternative to combustion fuels. Of particular importance in utilizing solar energy for this purpose is the cost of component parts, manufacture and installation, the adaptability of the structure and system to existing heating systems and building structures, and the heating capacity of the collecting modules and an array thereof for meeting specific heat requirements.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved simple, versatile, strong, durable and relatively low cost, solar heat collecting module.
Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved solar energy collecting module constructed and arranged with a high degree of versatility in length and width dimensions to meet specific heating requirements.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved solar heat collecting module of a construction that can be fabricated into a variety of lengths and widths using a minimum of basic parts, the parts being easily sized, readily available, relatively inexpensive materials, and readily and easily assembled.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel solar heat collecting module in the form of a relatively lightweight flat panel that is readily connected side-by-side with another similar module to form an array of interconnected modules that are readily joined for a selected heating capacity.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel array of solar heat collecting modules in which the airflow from inlet to outlet is substantially the same distance throughout the array for uniform heating.